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Status of the Flower Garden Banks of the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico

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Status of the Flower Garden Banks of the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico STATUSSTATUS OFOF THETHE FLOWERFLOWER GARDENGARDEN BANKSBANKS OFOF THETHE NORTHWESTERNNORTHWESTERN GULFGULF OFOF MEXICOMEXICO GeorgeGeorge P.P. SchmahlSchmahl Introduction which about 0.4 km2 is coral reef (Gardner et al. 1998). The Flower Garden Banks are two prominent geo- logical features on the edge of the outer continental Structurally, the Flower Garden Banks coral reefs shelf in the northwest Gulf of Mexico, approxi- are composed of large, closely spaced heads up to mately 192 km southeast of Galveston, Texas. three or more meters in diameter and height. Reef Created by the uplift of underlying salt domes of topography is relatively rough, with many vertical Jurassic origin, they rise from surrounding water and inclined surfaces. If the relief of individual FLOWER GARDENS FLOWER GARDENS FLOWER GARDENS FLOWER GARDENS FLOWER GARDENS FLOWER GARDENS FLOWER GARDENS FLOWER GARDENS depths of over 100 m to within 17 m of the surface coral heads is ignored, the top of the reef is rela- FLOWER GARDENS FLOWER GARDENS (Fig. 205). Stetson Bank, 48 km to the northwest of tively flat between the reef surface and about 30 m. the Flower Gardern Banks, is a separate claystone/ It slopes steeply between 30 m and the reef base. siltstone feature that harbors a low diversity coral Between groups of coral heads, there are sand community. Fishermen gave the Flower Garden patches and channels from 1-100 m long. Sand Banks their name because they could see the bright areas are typically small patches or linear channels. colors of the reef from the surface and pulled the Probably due to its geographic isolation and other brightly colored corals and sponges up on their factors, there are only about 28 species of reef- lines and in their nets. building corals, a relatively low diversity. Interest- These are the northernmost coral reefs on the conti- ingly, the Flower Garden Banks contain no elkhorn nental shelf of North America, located between 27˚ or staghorn corals and no shallow-water sea whips 52’ and 27˚ 56’ North. They are isolated from other or sea fans (gorgonians) which are common in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico reefs, being over Caribbean. 690 km from the nearest reefs of the Campeche Coral growth is relatively uniform over the entire Bank off the Mexican Yucatan Peninsula. top of both banks, occupying the bank crests down The East Flower Garden Bank, located at 27˚ 54.5’ to about 50 m. As the reef slopes in the deeper N, 93˚ 36.0’ W, comprises about 65.8 km2 and regions, corals grow flatter and individual heads contains about 1.02 km2 of coral reef. About 19.3 can cover large areas. km to the west, the West Flower Garden Bank, (27˚ The East and West Flower Garden Banks were 2 52.5’ N, 93˚ 49.0’ W) comprises about 77.2 km , of designated as the Flower Garden Banks National Figure 205. Bathymetry map of the East and West Flower Garden Banks (Credit: John Marine Sanctuary (the Christensen). Sanctuary or FGBNMS) in January 1992. In 1996, Bathymetry (m) 160-200 Stetson Bank was added. 150-160 The Sanctuary encom- 140-150 2 130-140 passes 145.8 km and 120-130 110-120 includes all of the shallow 100-110 coral reef areas. 90-100 80-90 70-80 60-70 Condition of the 50-60 40-50 Coral Reefs 30-40 20-30 The Flower Garden Banks are two of the least dis- turbed coral reefs in the Caribbean and western 143143 Atlantic and are among the few The current status provided by reefs anywhere that can be Dokken et al. (1999) is based considered nearly pristine on data from the 1996 and 1997 (Gittings and Hickerson 1998). monitoring effort (Table 19). The ocean water bathing the Live coral cover above 30 m reefs is clear with visibility averages 51.8% (53.8% on the usually 25-30 m. Salinity and East Bank and 49.8% on the temperature variations are well West Bank). The coral heads within the range required for are frequently very cavernous, active coral growth. When first showing evidence of substantial studied in the early 1970s, coral internal bioerosion (Fig. 207). communities in the Flower Other prominent benthic Garden Banks appeared stable components include coralline and in excellent general health algae-covered rock (45.4%), FLOWER GARDENS FLOWER GARDENS FLOWER GARDENS FLOWER GARDENS FLOWER GARDENS FLOWER GARDENS FLOWER GARDENS FLOWER GARDENS FLOWER GARDENS FLOWER GARDENS and have remained so. Some leafy and filamentous algae isolated injury caused by (2.7%), sponge (1.5%), and anchoring vessels, illegal patches of sand (less than 0.1%) fishing gear, tow cables, and Figure 206. Reefs at the Flower Garden may cover 10% of the bottom. seismic arrays was observed. Banks have high coral cover (Photo: Since sites were chosen to Stephen Gittings). monitor reef habitat and avoid Coral and Benthos – Gittings sand, sand channels and patches (1998) reviewed the data from all of the assessment probably account for around 10% of the Bank and monitoring studies through 1995 (for specifics, benthos. refer to the below monitoring section within this report). Coral cover averaged 47.3% and has not By percentage cover, the dominant coral species significantly changed since initial studies in 1972 are the boulder star coral (Montastrea annularis (Fig. 206). Similar consistency was observed in complex, 28.8%), symmetrical brain coral coral growth rates and other indicators of coral (Diploria strigosa, 9%), mustard hill coral (Porites health. The most recently published results astreoides, 4.6%), and the great star coral (Dokken et al. 1999) showed the trend had contin- (Montastrea cavernosa, 4.4%). Diversity (H´) ued through 1997. averaged 1.727 for all monitoring years since 1992, and Evenness (E) averaged Table 19. Mean percent cover (%) of corals, reef rock, algae, sponge, and sand on 0.853. random transects sampled during 1996 and 1997 survey cruises at the East and West Flower Garden Banks. Coral bleaching is routinely PERCENT COVER observed most years when Analyzed Components East Flower Garden Bank West Flower Garden Bank water temperatures exceed 30˚ 1996 1997 1996 1997 C, but is generally low and Montastraea annularis 30.5 28.0 34.0 22.6 Diploria strigosa 6.8 9.4 11.6 8.4 does not result in significant Porites astreoides 5.9 6.6 2.6 3.2 mortality (Dokken et al. 1999). Montastraea cavernosa 6.0 3.7 4.7 3.3 Based on repetitive quadrat Colophyllia natans 1.0 3.1 1.7 1.2 photography, no bleaching was Millepora alcicornis 2.3 0.8 1.5 0.9 Agaricia agaricites 1.0 0.2 0.3 0.4 observed in 1996 at either the Stephanocoenia intersepta 0.6 1.0 0.6 0.2 East or West Flower Garden Madracis decactis 0.5 0.0 0.1 0.6 Siderastrea siderea 0.3 0.2 0.2 1.4 Bank. In 1997, bleaching was Mussa angulosa 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.2 observed in 1.9% of the coral Scolymia cubensis 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 colonies on the East Bank, and Porites furcata 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 in 1.2% of the colonies on the Madracis mirabilis 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 Total coral 54.8 52.9 57.4 42.3 West Bank. Bleaching during Reef rock 41.8 48.6 39.8 51.5 the summer of 1998 was Leafy algae 0.0 5.2 0.9 4.8 Sponge 1.4 2.8 1.0 0.7 slightly higher than previous Sand 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.2 years, but was still less than 144144 5%, with mortality less than 1% (Q. Dokken pers. cern for the condition of the entire ecosystem (S. comm.). Fredericq pers. comm.). Coral disease was relatively rare, with only 23 In 1997, a slight increase in a red or blue-green turf incidents of disease or other unexplained mortality algal mat was observed on both banks, averaging observed in over 3700 colonies. Data from the about 5% cover (Dokken et al. 1999). Algal cover 1998 and 1999 monitoring effort have been com- declined slightly to about 3.2% in 1998, but then piled and are now under review. underwent a dramatic increase in 1999 (27.6% on the East Bank, 20.7% on the West Bank) (Q. Predation of living coral by parrotfish (Bruckner et Dokken pers. comm.). This increase occurred as al. 2000) is commonly observed, but the long-term algae colonized the bare reef rock, and may signal effect of this phenomenon is not known at this time that environmental factors are changing to favor (Fig. 208). algae. Algae – Only recently has the – In the coral reef algal community Water Quality FLOWER GARDENS FLOWER GARDENS FLOWER GARDENS FLOWER GARDENS FLOWER GARDENS FLOWER GARDENS FLOWER GARDENS vicinity of the Sanctuary, water FLOWER GARDENS been well documented. Crus- FLOWER GARDENS FLOWER GARDENS quality is generally very good. tose coralline and calcareous Being on the outer edge of the green algae are common. Texas-Louisiana continental Collections obtained in 1999 shelf, the Banks are directly show a community of at least influenced by the circulation 44 species of algae in depths patterns of the Gulf of Mexico. above 30 m (S. Fredericq pers. The most prominent current is comm.). Benthic macroalgae the Loop Current which brings are a minor, yet important warm, clear water from the component of the reef commu- Caribbean through the Yucatan nity in terms of potential channel into the Gulf of competitors for space Mexico basin, where it travels (Fredericq et al.
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